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Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Alongside bonds, gold, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc — all typically regarded as safe haven assets in times of uncertainty or volatility — moved higher.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Record high inflation and a weak yen are also squeezing households and driving up living costs.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The inflation hammering households is primarily due to the weak yen that the Abe government orchestrated with negative interest rates and massive monetary easing, causing a surge in energy and food prices that pinches voters’ wallets.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
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Noun
Japan’s jump is due, in part, to its strong yen performance against the dollar in 2025.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Alongside bonds, gold, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc — all typically regarded as safe haven assets in times of uncertainty or volatility — moved higher.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Record high inflation and a weak yen are also squeezing households and driving up living costs.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
The inflation hammering households is primarily due to the weak yen that the Abe government orchestrated with negative interest rates and massive monetary easing, causing a surge in energy and food prices that pinches voters’ wallets.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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